Well - where do I start!! At the beginning I suppose but there is so much to say I just wish I could type faster (Megs!!!) OK we left Bangkok on yet another very hot day and had quite a lot of hanging around but the day was good. The flight was brilliant, we both really enjoyed it. The Aussie staff were really good fun and the whole atmosphere of the plane was excellent. It was an 8 hour flight and it was quite strange as once we had dinner - then complimentary drinks - then fruit - then hot chocolate- then hot towels to clean ourselves,the lights went out. One hour later they went back on for tea or coffee - then breakfast - then fruit - then duty free then sweets, we were ready for landing! It just went so quick but then we are used to 13 or 14 hour journeys so the flight was a doddle! Got to Sydney airport approx 8 in the morning and went straight to the accomodation board to find the cheapest place we could just so we could get our heads down. Found a place for $30 a night each!! A real culture shock after Thailand. We got picked up and taken to the HOSTEL!!!!!!!! and it was like a prison - bars on the window and so many rules and regs it was untrue!! The owner was my sort of guy - very straight, old (74) well rounded and bald! I loved him but Den was unhappy with everything so we decided I would go into Sydney, Den could get some sleep and I would see if I could improve things for the next day. Well what an eyeopener! Sydney was really busy but an incredibly easy city to find your way around. I went to the library first to get some info and the Aussies are so friendly and helpful I really enjoyed myself. I asked this one guy for the ladies and he looked at me really strange, of course I'm still speaking broken english after Thailand so I said to him again - you have ladies? His face had a shocked look and I really didn't understand what I had said so I just said toilet? and he burst out laughing!! After he got a couple of other blokes over and told them what I had said they all started to laugh and eventually the penny dropped!!! I now say bathroom! Anyway went off on my travels for a guest house really up and feeling great although I hadn't slept. Went to the first place and didn't even bother going in - the cockroaches walking across reception(?!) put me right off - didn't tell Den that one! The next place was nearly as bad and by the time I got to the 3rd place I was well pissed (sorry!) off. It was a great improvement but I was sure Den wouldn't like it but by that time I had had enough so booked the beds! $40 dollars each - no bathroom, washbasin nothing except the beds!!! Its bad enough being so expensive but to pay that just for a bed really does hurt! Anyway got back to Den who hadn't slept and informed her where we were was a palace!!!!!!!! Lay on the bed and promptly fell asleep for 14 hours!! Next morning up at 5 am raring to go. Unfortunately Den still hadn't slept, she really is struggling with getting sleep and its getting to her now and it doesn't help that I can sllep on a clothes line!! Anyway I met a great couple that morning that both worked for the police collecting corpses! Really have met some interesting people! Do you know there are different callout codes for different types of bodies? If its a normal death its deceased - if its suicide its total and if the body is infected with flies, its mutant! Fascinating eh? Well they gave me lots of tips and they were great. We both left the hostel and went on too our new beds! in the heart of the city. We explored a bit and Den went back to the hostel to sleep and I went off up the Sydney tower observation floor to see the whole of the city and beyond. Met a lovely man who was 88 and did peoples siloettes didn't do mine but we had a great chat about how awful Australia was becoming with immigrants etc etc etc. The Aussies absolutely love Diana but don't seem to rate the rest of the Royal family too much. Got back to Den who still hadn't slept and we decided to go out and about for the evening . Met Jim (54) who poured his heart out to us as his relationship wasn't good. She was 31 and a drug addict!!! We both decided he probably got what he deserved because when Den asked him why he was still with her he said she was a Paris Hilton lookalike and all his friends were envious!!!!!!!!!!!!! Meal at chinatown $15 for both ( we really are into saving money big time) back to hostel and bed. It was amazingly noisy - the worst place for noise but Den slept!! She didn't even wake when someone was drunkenly trying to use their key to get in our room! She woke at 5 am had a shower (3 miles away! -OK I exagerate - but suffice to say a long way from the bedroom) and went back to bed and slept until 10. Hooray. So up and about and of to Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, River sightseeing trip and the Rocks ( which is the old original part of Sydney and really lovely) Watched an amazing street performer as well who was brilliantly funny and performed a great show. All in all a good day. We are very concerned about Australia as it is so costly and even doing things on the cheap is still really expensive. The other thing of course is me trying to get in touch with relatives so I can continue Debs family tree. One of my cousins is not to far out of Sydney so she seemed to be the obvious one to get in touch with first. I left several messages but she was never there when I rang but I eventually got hold of her about an hour ago. What a miserable old bag she was! (Sorry Deb and Barbara) but I was on the phone for about half an hour just listening to her moaning!! Anyway she works 6 days a week 13 hours a day and apparently they are desparate to get rid of her (can't think why!) so she dare not put a foot wrong. Shes got 3 years left before she retires so shes making sure she does nothing to upset them. Shes worked there for 34 years and I think that is probably the reason they would like her to go but I stayed diplomatic and understanding and just listened to her moaning thinking how much it was costing!!! She has given me a number for her brother and sister so hopefully they are bit more up! Let you know soon!!